Portland Local News

Mt. Hood Meadows launches summer events

For the first time in it’s 46-year history, Mt. Hood Meadows will present summer events at the resort. The inaugural “Mt. Hood Meadows Uphill Challenge” – a 1.2 mile running (or walking) event will be presented August 16. And a Kids Day Camp featuring outdoor activities and education will be presented August 23.

The opportunity to offer summer events was brought about by a recent U.S. Forest Service directive to bolster summer use and promote recreation-based and financially sustainable year-round activities and tourism at ski resorts on public land.

Mt. Hood Meadows President and CEO Matthew Drake is excited about the opportunity to offer summer events and recreation. “Since the Forest Service guidelines were released in April, we’ve been working closely with the Mt. Hood National Forest specifically to get a summer operational plan approved. These first two events are indicative of the direction we want to take our summer events and activities, offering recreation, social, competitive and educational experiences to our guests. We are looking forward to growing our operational and events schedule in the future to offer a wider spectrum of developed recreation and educational opportunities that will encourage more people to enjoy Mt. Hood Meadows year-round.”

In addition to the two events, Meadows will operate the Stadium chair for scenic chairlift rides, and offer a BBQ on the Sun Deck on those two days.

MT. HOOD MEADOWS UPHILL CHALLENGE AUGUST 16

The inaugural Mt. Hood Meadows Uphill Challenge will be run Saturday, August 16. The 1.2 mile course starts at the resort’s main parking lot and will finish at the top of the Stadium chairlift – a 621 foot elevation gain. The course will follow a gravel mountain road – it is not a mountain obstacle course. Following the finish competitors will ride the Stadium chair down (alleviating the knee punishment downhill running can cause.)

Course records will be kept for each age category – starting at ages 5 to 9, and increasing by 5 years all the way to 100+. All records will be up for grabs this first year in both male and female categories. Prize money will be awarded for the fastest overall Male and Female finishers. The race starts at 10 AM, but registration and bib pick up opens at 8 AM.

Advance registration is $20 for ages 15 and older, $10 for 14 years and younger, and includes the race and chairlift ride. Competitors can register online at Skihood.com/UphillChallenge through August 14. After that day of registration will be $5 more.

The Stadium chair will operate for scenic rides that day from 10 AM – Noon (at $10 a ride) and the Sun Deck BBQ will be open from 11 AM – 2 PM, offering brats, hot dogs, tofu dogs, beer and wine and other refreshments for sale.

KIDS DAY CAMP AUGUST 23

The Kids Day Camp presents a fun, outdoor-active and educational experience designed for ages 6 to 12. The camp will run from 11 AM – 3 PM and includes education on native plants and wildlife, games, art projects, a chairlift ride, interpretive trail hike and lunch.

The entire day is just $25 which must be purchased online in advance at SkiHood.com/KidsCamp.

Meadows will operate the Stadium lift from 11 AM – 2 PM and lunch on the Sun Deck BBQ from 12:30 – 3:00 PM. A special lift and lunch package can be advance purchased online (by August 20) for just $15 at SkiHood.com/LiftLunch, saving $5 off the day of price for the package. Day of scenic chairlift ride will be $10.